A galaxy of political leaders and Union Ministers were present during the function held in the Tamil Nadu assembly on Saturday to felicitate Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on his completing 50 years as legislator but his grand nephew and Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran was conspicuous by his absence.

Members of the chief minister's family, including his elder son M K Azhagiri in the eye of a political storm following the attack on the Dinakaran office at Madurai, were seen in the gallery. Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi, the family members of Azhagiri and Karunanidhi's younger son M K Stalin watched the proceedings.